EP2700203A1 - Scheduling priority in a communications network - Google Patents

Scheduling priority in a communications network

Info

Publication number
EP2700203A1
EP2700203A1 EP12715385.6A EP12715385A EP2700203A1 EP 2700203 A1 EP2700203 A1 EP 2700203A1 EP 12715385 A EP12715385 A EP 12715385A EP 2700203 A1 EP2700203 A1 EP 2700203A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
data
scheduling priority
priority
marker
network
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP12715385.6A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2700203B1 (en
Inventor
Mikko Tapani SUNI
Roland Antonius WÖLKER
Miika Sakari VUORISALO
Juha Pekka SIPILÄ
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Original Assignee
Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy filed Critical Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Priority to EP12715385.6A priority Critical patent/EP2700203B1/en
Priority claimed from PCT/EP2012/056985 external-priority patent/WO2012143346A1/en
Publication of EP2700203A1 publication Critical patent/EP2700203A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2700203B1 publication Critical patent/EP2700203B1/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
    • H04L47/10—Flow control; Congestion control
    • H04L47/24—Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W28/00—Network traffic management; Network resource management
    • H04W28/02—Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W8/00—Network data management
    • H04W8/02—Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
    • H04W8/04—Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Definitions

  • the invention generally relates to scheduling priority in a communications network. More particularly, the invention relates to priority differentiation of application data streams.
  • the invention seeks to address at least some of the prob ⁇ lems outlined above.
  • the invention provides a method, which includes evaluating data according to a marker assigned to the data, adjusting a scheduling priority based on a re ⁇ sult of the evaluation, and communicating the adjusted scheduling priority.
  • Data i.e., specific data packet (s) or an application
  • a marker which can indicate a data traffic type, application type, quality of service and/or activ ⁇ ity.
  • the marker can indicate priority and could be, for example, "high” or "low", or "application type A”. Marking can be based on previously defined application and subscriber-specific QoS policies and/or monitored appli ⁇ cation use.
  • the type of data (application) may be evalu ⁇ ated by reading the marker and, according to the given marker, the queuing weight of the data within the radio bearer (including simultaneous applications) and schedul ⁇ ing priority of the radio bearer can be dynamically ad ⁇ justed.
  • the adjusted scheduling priority may then be communicated to the network and can be used to adjust the scheduling weight of the radio bearer in relation to other radio bearers in the air interface.
  • This provides the advantage that several simultaneous ap- plication flows, carried either within the same or dif- fererent radio bearers, may be prioritised relative to each other (for example non-time critical data traffic may be separated from time critical data traffic so that the time critical traffic is prioritised) , thereby im- proving quality of experience for the user, while at the same time avoiding signalling on network interfaces and eliminating signalling over the radio interface altogether. Furthermore, this method is compatible with all mobile terminals.
  • adjusting comprises changing the scheduling priority, for example decreasing a priority level.
  • the scheduling priority for example decreasing a priority level.
  • P2P peer-to-peer
  • P2P traffic can be deprioritised during cell congestion in order to provide for faster download of web pages. This provides the advantage that an improved quality of ex ⁇ perience can be experienced by the network user.
  • the scheduling priority of individual IP data packets within a UTRAN radio bearer (RB) may be adjusted.
  • the scheduling priority is returned to a previous level if a condition changes. For example, if application data had previously been marked as high priority and then been deprioritized, the scheduling priority may be returned to the previous high priority level if conditions change, such as if the level of congestion in the target cell decreases. In this way, application data streams may be dynamically prioritized relative to each other.
  • Data may be received at the control node from a core net- work. Evaluating the data type and adjusting the scheduling priority may then be performed at the control node, for example a radio network controller. Marking the data to assign each application/data a marker may be per ⁇ formed using deep packet inspection, either in the core network or in a control node (such as a radio network controller or eNode B) that has integrated deep packet inspection. Alternatively, marking data or applications may be performed in standalone deep packet inspection on an interface such as the Gi or SGi interface.
  • the marker can be based on the quality of service level and may also indicate a quality of service level of the data or application.
  • the marker may also indicate the ap ⁇ plication type, in which case the control node may have rules to evaluate priority of the given application type.
  • Adjusting the scheduling priority can include mapping the data type to a value of the scheduling priority. This mapping of the data type to a value to a value of the scheduling priority may be achieved by calculating a weighted average of scheduling priority values received over last received data packets, for example by using a mapping algorithm. Alternatively, mapping may use configured rules with relative precedence between applica- tion types, and adjust scheduling priority according to the application rule with highest precedence seen during a given period of time.
  • the adjusted scheduling priority can be communicated to a network node, for example a base station, Node B or eNode B. The network node can then process the data or appli ⁇ cation according to its current scheduling priority.
  • Embodiments of the invention also provide a control node.
  • the control node includes a processor configured to evaluate data according to a marker assigned to the data and to adjust a scheduling priority according to a result of the evaluation.
  • a transmitter is provided, which is configured to communicate the adjusted scheduling prior ⁇ ity.
  • the control node evaluates received data based on a marker given to the data (application) according to its traffic type, quality of service and/or activity. Ac ⁇ cording to the marker, the scheduling priority of the data/application and radio bearer is then adjusted. The adjusted scheduling priority of the radio bearer is then communicated to the network.
  • Embodiments of the invention further provide a network node.
  • the network node includes a receiver, which is configured to receive data and an adjusted scheduling priority of the data.
  • a scheduler is configured to proc- ess the data according to its current scheduling priority. For example, the scheduler may adjust the priority of any given MAC-d queue based on the momentary schedul ⁇ ing priority of the radio bearer assigned by the control node .
  • Embodiments of the invention further provide a computer program product, which includes a program comprising software code portions being arranged, when run on a pro cessor, to perform evaluating data according to a marker assigned to the data, adjusting a scheduling priority of the data based on a result of the evaluation, and commu ⁇ nicating the adjusted scheduling priority.
  • the computer program product may include a computer- readable medium on which the software code portions can be stored, and/or wherein the program can be directly loadable into a memory of the processor.
  • Figure 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of a communi ⁇ cations network
  • Figure 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of a network node
  • Figure 3 is a simplified schematic diagram of a control node ;
  • Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the invention;
  • Figure 5 is an illustration of a layer structure in a communications network;
  • Figure 6 is an illustration of application of an embodiment of the invention in nodes of a communications net ⁇ work.
  • FIG. 1 shows a wireless communications network having a base station or Node B 1 controlled by a radio network controller (RNC) 2 over an Iub interface.
  • the Node B 1 and RNC 2 form the UMTS terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) part of the communications network, which is con- nected to a core network (CN) 3 over an Iu-PS or Gn in ⁇ terface.
  • UTRAN UMTS terrestrial radio access network
  • CN core network
  • the examples described below may also apply to an LTE radio network, in which case the Node B 1 and RNC 2 may be replaced by an eNode B combining both functionalities of the Node B and the RNC.
  • the CN 3 is a packet switched core net ⁇ work providing access to the internet via a Gi interface.
  • the CN 3 may include a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) interfaced over a Gn interface.
  • the CN 3 may also include a public data network gateway (PDN-GW) and a serving gateway (S-GW) .
  • PDN-GW public data network gateway
  • S-GW serving gateway
  • the Node B 1 includes a transmit/receive unit 4 and a scheduler 5, as shown in Figure 2 and the RNC 2 includes a transmit/receive unit 6 and a processor 7, as shown in Figure 3.
  • FIG. 4 shows a flow chart illustrating a method accord- ing to one embodiment.
  • an IP data packet re ⁇ ceived by the network from the internet is marked, which may take place in the CN 3 or in the RNC 2, or in fact in any part of the network before the Packet Data Conver ⁇ gence Protocol (PDCP) layer in the UTRAN, as described in more detail below.
  • the marker indicates priority (for example "high” or "low”) or application type of the data and may be placed in a dedicated header field of the IP data packet, as shown in Figure 5.
  • the marked data packets are received at the
  • the processor 7 in the RNC 3 evaluates each data packet in the PDCP layer by analys ⁇ ing the marker assigned to the data in step SI. However, this evaluation may take place in any part of the UTRAN network at or above the PDCP layer, as illustrated in
  • Step S3 the RNC 3 changes the order of the IP data packets according to priority and/or adjusts the schedul- ing priority of the entire UTRAN radio bearer based on the marker in the header of the data packet. For exam ⁇ ple, if the marker is "low", this means that the data traffic type and/or activity is such that the data asso ⁇ ciated with this particular application is low priority and the RNC 3 "demotes" the IP data packet to have a lower scheduling priority within the UTRAN radio bearer than its previous scheduling priority for that particular application or type of data.
  • IP data packets of different priority can be prioritized e.g. by placing them into queues with different schedul ⁇ ing priority and/or weight before they are scheduled into the MAC protocol layer within the RNC 3. This means that several application data streams in the same radio bearer may be dynamically prioritised relative to each other.
  • a web-based application may be given higher priority than a peer-to-peer application within the UTRAN radio bearer.
  • the RNC 3 may then also change or adjust the scheduling priority of the UTRAN radio bearer according to the priority mix of the IP data packets received recently or buffered currently.
  • the adjusted scheduling priority of the UTRAN radio bearer is indicated by a scheduling priority indicator (SPI) associated with the Frame Protocol PDU carrying the data packet or part of it.
  • SPI scheduling priority indicator
  • a change of SPI may be trig ⁇ gered in the PDCP layer in the RNC 3 by the data traffic type and/or activity as indicated by the marker in the header of the data packet.
  • step S4 the transmit/receive unit 6 of the RNC 3 com ⁇ municates the adjusted SPI to the Node B 1, for example in the "CmCH-PI" field of a HS-DSCH DATA FRAME TYPE 1 or 2 as illustrated in Figure 6.
  • the Node B 1 may then receive the adjusted SPI at the transmit/receive unit 4 and the scheduler 5 can change the scheduling weight associated with the MAC-d flow ac ⁇ cording to the SPI associated with each of the applica ⁇ tion data streams.
  • DPI deep packet inspection
  • DSCP Differentiated Services Code Point
  • GTP-U Ex ⁇ tension Header may be used as well.
  • DPI marks priority using DSCP code points to an inner IP packet (the end-to-end IP packet between a user's termi ⁇ nal and another IP endpoint outside the public land mo ⁇ bile network (PLMN) ) .
  • the DSCP code points are stored in a field of the IP header. This code point information is utilized in or above the PDCP protocol layer in the RNC 3, which then prioritizes application flows and adjusts the SPI of the UTRAN radio bearer and transfers the in ⁇ formation containing the adjusted SPI to the Node B 1 in real time.
  • An advantage of marking the DSCP field of the inner IP packet is that the marking can occur in any part of the network before the PDCP layer in the UTRAN.
  • the IP packet could be marked in a GGSN/PDN- GW that has integrated DPI; in a S-GW that has integrated DPI; in the RNC 3, I-HSPA or eNB (in the case of an LTE network) that has integrated DPI.
  • the IP packet could be marked in standalone DPI on the Gi or SGi interface .
  • outer IP packet DSCP code points (the GTP tunnel IP header DSCP) on Gn or Iu-PS transport or the SGSN do not disturb classification of packets.
  • inner IP packet DSCP is visible to and inter- preted by the UTRAN only, which enables definition of usage and interpretation of 6-bit DSCP code independent of changes in standardization.
  • the SPI information is passed to the Node B 1 HSPA sched ⁇ uling in the CmCH-PI (Common channel priority indication) field of an HS-DSCH data frame (type 1 or 2) .
  • CmCH-PI Common channel priority indication
  • HSDPA scheduling adjusts the priority of any given MAC-d queue based on the CmCH-PI field of an HS- DSCH data frame.
  • the priority of the MAC-d queue may be defined by the packet at the head of the queue.
  • the priority of the MAC-d queue may be defined by the highest priority MAC PDU in the queue. High priority applications are then preferred, which means that a user is able to experience a faster download time for a web page, for example, resulting in an improved QoE .
  • HSUPA scheduling may adjust the priority of up ⁇ link E-DCH channels based on the CmCH-PI field of an HS- DSCH data frame.
  • MAC PDUs of a RB are maintained in a single queue and only the priority of the entire queue is adjusted by the
  • Node B 1 (instead of placing individual MAC PDUs into separate priority queues indicated by the CmCH-PI field of FP HS-DSCH DATA FRAME that carried them) .
  • the interface between the PDCP and the cell MAC scheduler may be internal and therefore there is no need to adapt to any specific stan ⁇ dard to carry the scheduling priority.
  • Uplink (HSUPA) scheduling in the Node B 1 may use the same priority as downlink scheduling.
  • the PDCP layer (or layers above the PDCP layer) in the RNC 3 may include an algorithm, which translates a pattern of DSCP code points in user IP data packets into an SPI level. It is assumed that changing the SPI is not normally performed for every received downlink user packet. This is because there is assumed to be a short MAC-d queue in the Node B 1 and therefore priority changes at individual packet level are not ef- fective.
  • the algorithm follows a DSCP code point from a set of latest downlink data packets and ad ⁇ justs the SPI according to a formula.
  • an algorithm for adjusting the SPI may be implemented as follows:
  • mapping from a DSCP code point to a certain target SPI level This may be absolute or relative to the default SPI level evaluated from 3GPP Rel99 QoS parame ⁇ ters of the radio access bearer.
  • the algorithm follows the target SPI level of recent data packets, limited by a window which may be defined, for example, as a fixed number of transmission time interval (TTI) time slots, or an amount of data received.
  • TTI transmission time interval
  • the algorithm calculates a weighted average of target SPI values over the window, using the length of each user IP data packet (PDCP SDUs) as the weight.
  • the weighted average of target SPI values over the last window is used as the actual SPI value which is sent to the Node B 1 in the CmCH-PI field of FP HS-DSCH DATA FRAME (or over an internal interface in case of I-HSPA or eNB) .
  • n is number of packets that were received in measurement window
  • the algorithm is only an example, and any vari ⁇ ants on the above are possible, as long as there is a mapping from the DSCP value to the SPI value.
  • the details of algorithm may differ, for example with respect to how it reacts to a mixture of data packets having different DSCP codes and packet lengths or how quickly it reacts by changing the actual SPI based on a change of DSCP.
  • the present invention as described hereinabove, it should be noted that
  • any method step is suitable to be implement ⁇ ed as software or by hardware without changing the idea of the embodiments and its modification in terms of the functionality implemented;
  • ASIC Applica ⁇ tion Specific IC (Integrated Circuit)
  • FPGA Field-programmable Gate Arrays
  • CPLD Computer ⁇ plex Programmable Logic Device
  • DSP Digi- tal Signal Processor
  • - devices, units or means e.g. the above-defined appa ⁇ ratuses and network devices, or any one of their respec ⁇ tive units/means
  • an apparatus may be represented by a semiconductor chip, a chipset, or a (hardware) module comprising such chip or chipset; this, however, does not exclude the pos ⁇ sibility that a functionality of an apparatus or module, instead of being hardware implemented, be implemented as software in a (software) module such as a computer pro ⁇ gram or a computer program product comprising executable software code portions for execution/being run on a pro ⁇ cessor;
  • - a device may be regarded as an apparatus or as an as ⁇ sembly of more than one apparatus, whether functionally in cooperation with each other or functionally inde- pendently of each other but in a same device housing, for example .
  • respective functional blocks or elements according to above-described aspects can be implemented by any known means, either in hardware and/or software, respectively, if it is only adapted to perform the described functions of the respective parts.
  • the mentioned method steps can be realized in individual functional blocks or by individual devices, or one or more of the method steps can be realized in a single functional block or by a single device.
  • any method step is suitable to be implemented as software or by hardware without changing the idea of the present invention.
  • Devices and means can be imple ⁇ mented as individual devices, but this does not exclude that they are implemented in a distributed fashion throughout the system, as long as the functionality of the device is preserved. Such and similar principles are to be considered as known to a skilled person.
  • the terms "user equipment (UE) " and "mobile station” de ⁇ scribed herein may refer to any mobile or stationary device including a mobile telephone, a computer, a mobile broadband adapter, a USB stick for enabling a device to access to a mobile network, etc.
  • PDN-GW Public Data Network Gateway

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

A method is provided, which includes determining a data type from a marking assigned to the data, adjusting a scheduling priority according to the data type, and communicating the adjusted scheduling priority.

Description

DESCRIPTION
TITLE
SCHEDULING PRIORITY IN A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention generally relates to scheduling priority in a communications network. More particularly, the invention relates to priority differentiation of application data streams.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
During times when a target cell in a mobile communica- tions network becomes congested or highly loaded, limited either by radio or backhaul transport resources, users of the network may become dissatisfied with the quality of experience associated with packet data services, since applications like web pages may take considerably longer to download.
In order to improve the quality of experience, several methods may be employed, for example network requested secondary PDP context, a GGSN initiated PDP context modi- fication procedure, use of multiple PDP contexts, and/or throttling application flows in the core network.
However, there are drawbacks limiting the usage of these methods for improving the quality of experience, for ex- ample that they are either unsupported by many mobile terminals, they introduce extra signalling and the qual¬ ity of service (QoS) may not be changed too rapidly, they cannot be used for internet applications and/or there is a lack of knowledge about the target cell load in real time .
The invention seeks to address at least some of the prob¬ lems outlined above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the invention provides a method, which includes evaluating data according to a marker assigned to the data, adjusting a scheduling priority based on a re¬ sult of the evaluation, and communicating the adjusted scheduling priority.
Data; i.e., specific data packet (s) or an application, may be given a marker, which can indicate a data traffic type, application type, quality of service and/or activ¬ ity. The marker can indicate priority and could be, for example, "high" or "low", or "application type A". Marking can be based on previously defined application and subscriber-specific QoS policies and/or monitored appli¬ cation use. The type of data (application) may be evalu¬ ated by reading the marker and, according to the given marker, the queuing weight of the data within the radio bearer (including simultaneous applications) and schedul¬ ing priority of the radio bearer can be dynamically ad¬ justed. The adjusted scheduling priority may then be communicated to the network and can be used to adjust the scheduling weight of the radio bearer in relation to other radio bearers in the air interface.
This provides the advantage that several simultaneous ap- plication flows, carried either within the same or dif- fererent radio bearers, may be prioritised relative to each other (for example non-time critical data traffic may be separated from time critical data traffic so that the time critical traffic is prioritised) , thereby im- proving quality of experience for the user, while at the same time avoiding signalling on network interfaces and eliminating signalling over the radio interface altogether. Furthermore, this method is compatible with all mobile terminals.
Preferably, adjusting comprises changing the scheduling priority, for example decreasing a priority level. This means that if the data is marked as low priority, or marked as an application type that is evaluated as low priority, its scheduling priority is decreased. In this way, different applications may be assigned different scheduling priorities. For example, peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic can be deprioritised during cell congestion in order to provide for faster download of web pages. This provides the advantage that an improved quality of ex¬ perience can be experienced by the network user.
The scheduling priority of individual IP data packets within a UTRAN radio bearer (RB) , as well as the schedul- ing priority of the radio bearer in the air interface may be adjusted.
In one embodiment of the invention, the scheduling priority is returned to a previous level if a condition changes. For example, if application data had previously been marked as high priority and then been deprioritized, the scheduling priority may be returned to the previous high priority level if conditions change, such as if the level of congestion in the target cell decreases. In this way, application data streams may be dynamically prioritized relative to each other.
Data may be received at the control node from a core net- work. Evaluating the data type and adjusting the scheduling priority may then be performed at the control node, for example a radio network controller. Marking the data to assign each application/data a marker may be per¬ formed using deep packet inspection, either in the core network or in a control node (such as a radio network controller or eNode B) that has integrated deep packet inspection. Alternatively, marking data or applications may be performed in standalone deep packet inspection on an interface such as the Gi or SGi interface.
The marker can be based on the quality of service level and may also indicate a quality of service level of the data or application. The marker may also indicate the ap¬ plication type, in which case the control node may have rules to evaluate priority of the given application type.
Adjusting the scheduling priority can include mapping the data type to a value of the scheduling priority. This mapping of the data type to a value to a value of the scheduling priority may be achieved by calculating a weighted average of scheduling priority values received over last received data packets, for example by using a mapping algorithm. Alternatively, mapping may use configured rules with relative precedence between applica- tion types, and adjust scheduling priority according to the application rule with highest precedence seen during a given period of time. The adjusted scheduling priority can be communicated to a network node, for example a base station, Node B or eNode B. The network node can then process the data or appli¬ cation according to its current scheduling priority. Embodiments of the invention also provide a control node.
The control node includes a processor configured to evaluate data according to a marker assigned to the data and to adjust a scheduling priority according to a result of the evaluation. A transmitter is provided, which is configured to communicate the adjusted scheduling prior¬ ity.
The control node evaluates received data based on a marker given to the data (application) according to its traffic type, quality of service and/or activity. Ac¬ cording to the marker, the scheduling priority of the data/application and radio bearer is then adjusted. The adjusted scheduling priority of the radio bearer is then communicated to the network. This provides the advantage of being able to prioritise several simultaneous applica¬ tion flows which leads to an improved quality of experi¬ ence for the user, without the need to use signalling on network interfaces and providing for compatibility with all mobile terminals.
Embodiments of the invention further provide a network node. The network node includes a receiver, which is configured to receive data and an adjusted scheduling priority of the data. A scheduler is configured to proc- ess the data according to its current scheduling priority. For example, the scheduler may adjust the priority of any given MAC-d queue based on the momentary schedul¬ ing priority of the radio bearer assigned by the control node .
Embodiments of the invention further provide a computer program product, which includes a program comprising software code portions being arranged, when run on a pro cessor, to perform evaluating data according to a marker assigned to the data, adjusting a scheduling priority of the data based on a result of the evaluation, and commu¬ nicating the adjusted scheduling priority.
The computer program product may include a computer- readable medium on which the software code portions can be stored, and/or wherein the program can be directly loadable into a memory of the processor.
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to specific embodiments, and to the accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of a communi¬ cations network; Figure 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of a network node ;
Figure 3 is a simplified schematic diagram of a control node ; Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 is an illustration of a layer structure in a communications network; and
Figure 6 is an illustration of application of an embodiment of the invention in nodes of a communications net¬ work.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 shows a wireless communications network having a base station or Node B 1 controlled by a radio network controller (RNC) 2 over an Iub interface. The Node B 1 and RNC 2 form the UMTS terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) part of the communications network, which is con- nected to a core network (CN) 3 over an Iu-PS or Gn in¬ terface. However, the examples described below may also apply to an LTE radio network, in which case the Node B 1 and RNC 2 may be replaced by an eNode B combining both functionalities of the Node B and the RNC.
In this example, the CN 3 is a packet switched core net¬ work providing access to the internet via a Gi interface. The CN 3 may include a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) interfaced over a Gn interface. The CN 3 may also include a public data network gateway (PDN-GW) and a serving gateway (S-GW) .
The Node B 1 includes a transmit/receive unit 4 and a scheduler 5, as shown in Figure 2 and the RNC 2 includes a transmit/receive unit 6 and a processor 7, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 4 shows a flow chart illustrating a method accord- ing to one embodiment. In step SI, an IP data packet re¬ ceived by the network from the internet is marked, which may take place in the CN 3 or in the RNC 2, or in fact in any part of the network before the Packet Data Conver¬ gence Protocol (PDCP) layer in the UTRAN, as described in more detail below. The marker indicates priority (for example "high" or "low") or application type of the data and may be placed in a dedicated header field of the IP data packet, as shown in Figure 5. In step S2, the marked data packets are received at the
RNC 3, as shown in Figure 6. The processor 7 in the RNC 3 evaluates each data packet in the PDCP layer by analys¬ ing the marker assigned to the data in step SI. However, this evaluation may take place in any part of the UTRAN network at or above the PDCP layer, as illustrated in
Figure 5.
In Step S3, the RNC 3 changes the order of the IP data packets according to priority and/or adjusts the schedul- ing priority of the entire UTRAN radio bearer based on the marker in the header of the data packet. For exam¬ ple, if the marker is "low", this means that the data traffic type and/or activity is such that the data asso¬ ciated with this particular application is low priority and the RNC 3 "demotes" the IP data packet to have a lower scheduling priority within the UTRAN radio bearer than its previous scheduling priority for that particular application or type of data. It is to be noted that if conditions change, for example the target cell becomes less busy or congested, the application data stream may have its priority dynamically restored or adjusted back by the RNC 3 to its previous level before it was demoted. Conversely, if the marker is "high", this indicates that the data associated with the application is high priority and the RNC 3 raises the scheduling priority of the IP data packet. IP data packets of different priority can be prioritized e.g. by placing them into queues with different schedul¬ ing priority and/or weight before they are scheduled into the MAC protocol layer within the RNC 3. This means that several application data streams in the same radio bearer may be dynamically prioritised relative to each other. For example, a web-based application may be given higher priority than a peer-to-peer application within the UTRAN radio bearer. The RNC 3 may then also change or adjust the scheduling priority of the UTRAN radio bearer according to the priority mix of the IP data packets received recently or buffered currently. The adjusted scheduling priority of the UTRAN radio bearer is indicated by a scheduling priority indicator (SPI) associated with the Frame Protocol PDU carrying the data packet or part of it. A change of SPI may be trig¬ gered in the PDCP layer in the RNC 3 by the data traffic type and/or activity as indicated by the marker in the header of the data packet.
In step S4, the transmit/receive unit 6 of the RNC 3 com¬ municates the adjusted SPI to the Node B 1, for example in the "CmCH-PI" field of a HS-DSCH DATA FRAME TYPE 1 or 2 as illustrated in Figure 6.
The Node B 1 may then receive the adjusted SPI at the transmit/receive unit 4 and the scheduler 5 can change the scheduling weight associated with the MAC-d flow ac¬ cording to the SPI associated with each of the applica¬ tion data streams.
In one embodiment, deep packet inspection (DPI) may be used to detect and prioritize applications. In the fol¬ lowing, Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) marking is used as an example of the marker assigned to IP data packets. However, other dedicated header fields, for ex¬ ample contained in a GPRS tunnelling protocol GTP-U Ex¬ tension Header, may be used as well.
DPI marks priority using DSCP code points to an inner IP packet (the end-to-end IP packet between a user's termi¬ nal and another IP endpoint outside the public land mo¬ bile network (PLMN) ) . The DSCP code points are stored in a field of the IP header. This code point information is utilized in or above the PDCP protocol layer in the RNC 3, which then prioritizes application flows and adjusts the SPI of the UTRAN radio bearer and transfers the in¬ formation containing the adjusted SPI to the Node B 1 in real time.
An advantage of marking the DSCP field of the inner IP packet is that the marking can occur in any part of the network before the PDCP layer in the UTRAN.
For example, the IP packet could be marked in a GGSN/PDN- GW that has integrated DPI; in a S-GW that has integrated DPI; in the RNC 3, I-HSPA or eNB (in the case of an LTE network) that has integrated DPI. Alternatively, the IP packet could be marked in standalone DPI on the Gi or SGi interface .
Furthermore, changes to outer IP packet DSCP code points (the GTP tunnel IP header DSCP) on Gn or Iu-PS transport or the SGSN do not disturb classification of packets. In addition, inner IP packet DSCP is visible to and inter- preted by the UTRAN only, which enables definition of usage and interpretation of 6-bit DSCP code independent of changes in standardization.
The SPI information is passed to the Node B 1 HSPA sched¬ uling in the CmCH-PI (Common channel priority indication) field of an HS-DSCH data frame (type 1 or 2) .
As a result, HSDPA scheduling adjusts the priority of any given MAC-d queue based on the CmCH-PI field of an HS- DSCH data frame. For example, the priority of the MAC-d queue may be defined by the packet at the head of the queue. Alternatively, the priority of the MAC-d queue may be defined by the highest priority MAC PDU in the queue. High priority applications are then preferred, which means that a user is able to experience a faster download time for a web page, for example, resulting in an improved QoE .
Further, HSUPA scheduling may adjust the priority of up¬ link E-DCH channels based on the CmCH-PI field of an HS- DSCH data frame.
The order of MAC PDUs for a given UTRAN radio bearer (RB) needs to be preserved, otherwise the RLC layer in Ac- knowledge mode would misinterpret the reordered MAC PDUs as lost and initiate unnecessary retransmissions, which would adversely affect connection quality. Therefore, MAC PDUs of a RB are maintained in a single queue and only the priority of the entire queue is adjusted by the
Node B 1 (instead of placing individual MAC PDUs into separate priority queues indicated by the CmCH-PI field of FP HS-DSCH DATA FRAME that carried them) . In the case of E-UTRAN or I-HSPA, the interface between the PDCP and the cell MAC scheduler may be internal and therefore there is no need to adapt to any specific stan¬ dard to carry the scheduling priority. Uplink (HSUPA) scheduling in the Node B 1 may use the same priority as downlink scheduling.
In one embodiment, the PDCP layer (or layers above the PDCP layer) in the RNC 3 may include an algorithm, which translates a pattern of DSCP code points in user IP data packets into an SPI level. It is assumed that changing the SPI is not normally performed for every received downlink user packet. This is because there is assumed to be a short MAC-d queue in the Node B 1 and therefore priority changes at individual packet level are not ef- fective. In summary, the algorithm follows a DSCP code point from a set of latest downlink data packets and ad¬ justs the SPI according to a formula.
In one embodiment, an algorithm for adjusting the SPI may be implemented as follows:
There is a mapping from a DSCP code point to a certain target SPI level. This may be absolute or relative to the default SPI level evaluated from 3GPP Rel99 QoS parame¬ ters of the radio access bearer.
The algorithm follows the target SPI level of recent data packets, limited by a window which may be defined, for example, as a fixed number of transmission time interval (TTI) time slots, or an amount of data received.
The algorithm calculates a weighted average of target SPI values over the window, using the length of each user IP data packet (PDCP SDUs) as the weight.
The weighted average of target SPI values over the last window is used as the actual SPI value which is sent to the Node B 1 in the CmCH-PI field of FP HS-DSCH DATA FRAME (or over an internal interface in case of I-HSPA or eNB) .
DSCP, Rel99 QoS - Target SPI
∑ (Target SPI) · (IP packet length)
Actual SPI = -2 —
2_ IP packet length
n
where n is number of packets that were received in measurement window
Note that the algorithm is only an example, and any vari¬ ants on the above are possible, as long as there is a mapping from the DSCP value to the SPI value. The details of algorithm may differ, for example with respect to how it reacts to a mixture of data packets having different DSCP codes and packet lengths or how quickly it reacts by changing the actual SPI based on a change of DSCP. For the purpose of the present invention as described hereinabove, it should be noted that
- method steps likely to be implemented as software code portions and being run using a processor at a network control element or terminal (as examples of devices, ap¬ paratuses and/or modules thereof, or as examples of enti¬ ties including apparatuses and/or modules therefore) , are software code independent and can be specified using any known or future developed programming language as long as the functionality defined by the method steps is pre¬ served;
- generally, any method step is suitable to be implement¬ ed as software or by hardware without changing the idea of the embodiments and its modification in terms of the functionality implemented;
- method steps and/or devices, units or means likely to be implemented as hardware components at the above- defined apparatuses, or any module (s) thereof, (e.g., de¬ vices carrying out the functions of the apparatuses ac- cording to the embodiments as described above) are hard¬ ware independent and can be implemented using any known or future developed hardware technology or any hybrids of these, such as MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) , CMOS (Complementary MOS), BiMOS (Bipolar MOS), BiCMOS (Bipolar CMOS), ECL (Emitter Coupled Logic), TTL (Transistor-
Transistor Logic), etc., using for example ASIC (Applica¬ tion Specific IC (Integrated Circuit)) components, FPGA (Field-programmable Gate Arrays) components, CPLD (Com¬ plex Programmable Logic Device) components or DSP (Digi- tal Signal Processor) components;
- devices, units or means (e.g. the above-defined appa¬ ratuses and network devices, or any one of their respec¬ tive units/means) can be implemented as individual devic¬ es, units or means, but this does not exclude that they are implemented in a distributed fashion throughout the system, as long as the functionality of the device, unit or means is preserved;
- an apparatus may be represented by a semiconductor chip, a chipset, or a (hardware) module comprising such chip or chipset; this, however, does not exclude the pos¬ sibility that a functionality of an apparatus or module, instead of being hardware implemented, be implemented as software in a (software) module such as a computer pro¬ gram or a computer program product comprising executable software code portions for execution/being run on a pro¬ cessor;
- a device may be regarded as an apparatus or as an as¬ sembly of more than one apparatus, whether functionally in cooperation with each other or functionally inde- pendently of each other but in a same device housing, for example .
In general, it is to be noted that respective functional blocks or elements according to above-described aspects can be implemented by any known means, either in hardware and/or software, respectively, if it is only adapted to perform the described functions of the respective parts. The mentioned method steps can be realized in individual functional blocks or by individual devices, or one or more of the method steps can be realized in a single functional block or by a single device.
Generally, any method step is suitable to be implemented as software or by hardware without changing the idea of the present invention. Devices and means can be imple¬ mented as individual devices, but this does not exclude that they are implemented in a distributed fashion throughout the system, as long as the functionality of the device is preserved. Such and similar principles are to be considered as known to a skilled person. The terms "user equipment (UE) " and "mobile station" de¬ scribed herein may refer to any mobile or stationary device including a mobile telephone, a computer, a mobile broadband adapter, a USB stick for enabling a device to access to a mobile network, etc.
The exemplary embodiments of the invention have been de¬ scribed above with reference to a 3GPP UMTS network.
However, the above-described examples may be applied to any wireless communications network.
Although the invention has been described hereinabove with reference to specific embodiments, it is not limited to these embodiments, and no doubt further alternatives will occur to the skilled person, which lie within the scope of the invention as claimed.
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
CmCH-PI - Common Transport Channel Priority Indicator
DPI - Deep Packet Inspection
DSCP - Differentiated Services Code Point
FP - Frame Protocol
GTP - GPRS Tunnelling Protocol
GGSN - Gateway GPRS Support Node
GPRS - General Packet Radio Service
HSDPA - High Speed Downlink Packet Access
HS-DSCH - High Speed Downlink Shared Channel
HSPA - High Speed Packet Access
IP - Internet Protocol
LTE - Long Term Evolution
MAC - Medium Access Control
PDCP - Packet Data Convergence Protocol
PDN-GW - Public Data Network Gateway
PDP - Packet Data Protocol
PLMN - Public Land Mobile Network
QoE - Quality of Experience
QoS - Quality of Service
RAB - Radio Access Bearer
RNC - Radio Network Controller
SGSN - Serving GPRS Support Node
S-GW - Serving Gateway
SPI - Scheduling Priority Indicator
TTI - Transmission Time Interval
UMTS - Universal Mobile Telecommunications System UTRAN - UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network

Claims

1. A method, comprising:
evaluating data according to a marker assigned to the data;
adjusting a scheduling priority of the data based on a result of the evaluation; and
communicating the adjusted scheduling priority .
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein adjusting comprises changing the scheduling priority.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein changing the scheduling priority comprises decreasing a priority level.
4. The method according to any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising returning the scheduling priority to a previous level if a condition changes.
5. The method according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein evaluating and adjusting is performed at a control node.
6. The method according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the marker is assigned using deep packet inspec¬ tion .
7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the data is received at the control node from a core net¬ work.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the marker is assigned by the core network.
9. The method according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the marker is a priority marking.
10. The method according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the marker indicates a quality of service level.
11. The method according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein adjusting comprises mapping a type of the data to a value of the scheduling priority.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein mapping comprises calculating a weighted average of sched¬ uling priority values received over a last received data packet .
13. The method according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the adjusted scheduling priority is communicated to a network node.
14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising processing data according to its current scheduling priority.
15. A control node, comprising:
a processor configured to evaluate data according to a marker assigned to the data and to adjust a scheduling priority of the data based on a result of the evaluation; and
a transmitter configured to communicate the adjusted scheduling priority.
16. A network node, comprising:
a receiver configured to receive data and an adjusted scheduling priority of the data; and
a scheduler configured to schedule the data according to its current scheduling priority.
17. A computer program product, including a program comprising software code portions being arranged, when run on a processor, to perform evaluating data according to a marker assigned to the data, adjusting a scheduling priority of the data based on a result of the evaluation, and communicating the adjusted scheduling priority .
18. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer program product comprises a computer-readable medium on which the software code portions are stored, and/or wherein the program is di¬ rectly loadable into a memory of the processor.
EP12715385.6A 2011-04-19 2012-04-17 Scheduling priority in a communications network Active EP2700203B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP12715385.6A EP2700203B1 (en) 2011-04-19 2012-04-17 Scheduling priority in a communications network

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP2011056221 2011-04-19
EP12715385.6A EP2700203B1 (en) 2011-04-19 2012-04-17 Scheduling priority in a communications network
PCT/EP2012/056985 WO2012143346A1 (en) 2011-04-19 2012-04-17 Scheduling priority in a communications network

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2700203A1 true EP2700203A1 (en) 2014-02-26
EP2700203B1 EP2700203B1 (en) 2017-03-08

Family

ID=49955092

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP12715385.6A Active EP2700203B1 (en) 2011-04-19 2012-04-17 Scheduling priority in a communications network

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2700203B1 (en)

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP2700203B1 (en) 2017-03-08

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
KR101059676B1 (en) Maintenance of Guaranteed Bit Rate Traffic in Uplink Transmission
US8565091B2 (en) Dynamic control of air interface throughput
US9948563B2 (en) Transmitting node, receiving node and methods therein
US7782872B2 (en) Method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for providing an applicable QoS for data that has actually experienced a QoS degraded from that requested
EP2080326B1 (en) System and method of load dependent rate control
US8488551B2 (en) Method and arrangement in a telecommunication system
CN102308616B (en) Method and apparatus for measuring active subscriber devices by quality of service category indicators
US20170150393A1 (en) Dynamic Quality of Service Management
US20130336124A1 (en) Partitioning Entity and Method for Partitioning Capacity
CN101795472B (en) Rate control method and control device
KR101415201B1 (en) Apparatus and method for scheduling high speed video stream service
US9794957B2 (en) Efficient management of scheduling parameter changes in resource limited processing nodes
WO2012143346A1 (en) Scheduling priority in a communications network
CN101742567B (en) Method and device for ensuring speed of high-speed packet access service
CN104285467B (en) Feedback-Based Typing of Transport Networks
EP2700203A1 (en) Scheduling priority in a communications network
CN108810902B (en) A wireless backhaul resource adjustment method and base station
WO2014128243A1 (en) Method and gateway for conveying traffic across a packet oriented mobile service network
Abbas et al. Performance Enhancement of End-to-end Quality of Service in WCDMA Wireless Networks
Heier et al. UMTS medium access control quality of service scheduling.
BR112018073970B1 (en) DATA TRANSMISSION METHOD AND APPARATUS, COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 20131119

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR

DAX Request for extension of the european patent (deleted)
REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: R079

Ref document number: 602012029547

Country of ref document: DE

Free format text: PREVIOUS MAIN CLASS: H04L0012560000

Ipc: H04W0028020000

GRAP Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1

INTG Intention to grant announced

Effective date: 20161021

RIC1 Information provided on ipc code assigned before grant

Ipc: H04W 28/02 20090101AFI20161011BHEP

GRAS Grant fee paid

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: FG4D

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: EP

Ref country code: AT

Ref legal event code: REF

Ref document number: 874537

Country of ref document: AT

Kind code of ref document: T

Effective date: 20170315

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: IE

Ref legal event code: FG4D

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: R096

Ref document number: 602012029547

Country of ref document: DE

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: LT

Ref legal event code: MG4D

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: NL

Ref legal event code: MP

Effective date: 20170308

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FI

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

Ref country code: GR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170609

Ref country code: LT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

Ref country code: NO

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170608

Ref country code: HR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: AT

Ref legal event code: MK05

Ref document number: 874537

Country of ref document: AT

Kind code of ref document: T

Effective date: 20170308

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: RS

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

Ref country code: SE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

Ref country code: LV

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

Ref country code: BG

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170608

Ref country code: ES

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: NL

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

Ref country code: RO

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

Ref country code: EE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

Ref country code: CZ

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

Ref country code: SK

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

Ref country code: AT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IS

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170708

Ref country code: SM

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

Ref country code: PL

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

Ref country code: PT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170710

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: PL

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: R097

Ref document number: 602012029547

Country of ref document: DE

PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: IE

Ref legal event code: MM4A

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: FR

Ref legal event code: ST

Effective date: 20171229

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20170509

Ref country code: DK

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

Ref country code: MC

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

26N No opposition filed

Effective date: 20171211

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: LU

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20170417

Ref country code: CH

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20170430

Ref country code: LI

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20170430

Ref country code: SI

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: BE

Ref legal event code: MM

Effective date: 20170430

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20170417

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: BE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20170430

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: MT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20170417

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: HU

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT; INVALID AB INITIO

Effective date: 20120417

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: CY

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20170308

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: MK

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: TR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: AL

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT

Effective date: 20170308

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 20250305

Year of fee payment: 14

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 20260312

Year of fee payment: 15